Caio Oliveira, professor at the Chemistry Institute (IQ); Daniel Martins-de-Souza, professor at the Institute of Biology (IB) and David Lapola, researcher at the Center for Meteorological and Climate Research Applied to Agriculture (Cepagri) at Unicamp were selected by Litter Institute to have their projects financed during 2018. Of the almost two thousand proposals received, 65 were selected and will receive R$100 each. This is the first private initiative to support national science.
The Serrapilheira Institute included basic or applied studies in the fields of computer science, earth sciences, life sciences, engineering, physics, mathematics and chemistry. Created in 2016 by documentary filmmaker João Moreira Salles and Branca Vianna, his wife, it aims to value the science produced in the country, consequently increasing its presence on the international scene.
For the Pro-Rector of Research (PRP) at Unicamp, Professor Munir Salomão Skaf, the selected researchers "are to be congratulated, for having been bold and presenting the proposals". He highlights that Unicamp, as an institution, must help more in the implementation of these and other projects. He also highlighted that actions like the Serrapilheira Institute exist abroad but are new here. He recalled that in a new phase the Serrapilheira Institute will finance those who stand out. According to the public call, 10 to 12 projects approved in the second selection will have support of up to 1 million reais for three years.
THOSE SELECTED FROM UNICAMP
Caio Oliveira
He works in the Asymmetric Synthesis and Catalysis Laboratory, where he develops new chiral catalysts for a broad spectrum of enantioselective transformations in Organic Synthesis, with a special interest in reactions catalyzed by transition metals and enantioselective multimetals and their application for the total synthesis of functional molecules. He has experience in the synthesis of molecules of pharmacological interest, synthesis of heterocycles, cross-coupling reactions, design and application of ligands and chiral metal complexes for enantioselective catalysis. He is a professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry, at IQ at Unicamp.
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Daniel Martins-de-Souza
Develops proteomic analysis projects in brain and peripheral tissue from patients with psychiatric disorders. He has experience in proteomic analysis based on mass spectrometry (shotgun proteomics), isotopic labeling techniques, label-free proteomics, two-dimensional electrophoresis and in silico systems biology analysis. He is a PhD professor in the Department of Biochemistry, at Unicamp's IB, with research financed by the Fapesp Young Researcher program. He also works as an advisor to the Dean of Research (PRP).
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David Lapola
Develops research in global change ecology, land use change, environmental services, climate change impacts on biodiversity, Earth system modeling and sustainability science. Chairs the scientific committee of the Amazon-FACE program: experiment on elevated atmospheric CO2 and its effects on the ecology of the Amazon forest; and coordinates the OpenNESS-Cana project, which evaluates the implementation of payment mechanisms for environmental services in the São Paulo sugarcane belt. He is registered in the postgraduate programs in Ecology and Environment & Society, both at Unicamp and Ecology and Biodiversity at Unesp and works as a researcher at the Center for Meteorological and Climate Research Applied to Agriculture-Cepagri at Unicamp.
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